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Please help!! Getting a cat!

SarahGonzales

Young Bun
:wave: Hi!

Bunny is settling in very well to his new home. He's happy, confident and curious. The thing is, my flatmate wants to get a cat. From what I've read, there's minimal risk of problems, as long as they are introduced slowly and supervised for as long as needed.

Can anyone give advice on a suitable breed? Or things to do to avoid the 'hunting' nature of the cat? How old should buns be (he's 9 weeks old now)?? I'm hoping that, being Bunny's house first, there shouldn't be too many problems.

Any stories about your own experiences would be greatly appreciated.
 
I'd suggest getting a kitten or younger cat from a rescue as you can then ensure they would be together from a young age. I wouldn't leave them alone together unsupervised though because a cat will always have its hunting nature and even if it's fine when you're around your bunny could end up being hurt. We have 9 cats and all the cats are afraid of the bunnies but I still don't let them together when I'm not there just in case.
 
I got my first rabbit as a baby the day-before it snowed in February of this year (not the best timing)! As a result, she ended up living in the kitchen for the first couple of weeks because I was concerned it was too cold outside for her. I blocked-off the gangway that the cats used to reach their catflap (in the kitchen door), so that she could freely hop around the kitchen all day, and so long as they couldn't see her, they ignored her. They were curious about her when they could see her and I wouldn't have trusted the cats not to attack her. At night, we shut her up in her cage in the lounge, with the cats in the kitchen (which is normal for them at night).

Both of my rabbits are now outside and spend all day in a big run on the lawn. I don't know whether it's because they're too big to be normal prey, or whether it's because my doe spent those first few weeks in the kitchen, but the cats are now not bothered about either of my rabbits (I got him from a rescue centre two week's after her). The cats will go up to the run occasionally and they'll happily sniff each other through the mesh, but they don't prowl up and down the run as though they're stalking them. Most of the time they just ignore them. I wouldn't trust them alone together though without the protection of the run - a cat's instinct to pounce is part of its nature.

Dogs are different; unless they're Sight Hounds, they can be trained to ignore bunnies, especially if taught from puppyhood.
 
Thanks for that. I figure if we wait till spring, buns will be about 4 months old and firmly established in his territory. He's only out of his hutch when we are home (morning and evening), and it is just an apartment - so while he has plenty of room for a little bun to run, he is usually in sight. At 4 months old and almost fully grown, and with his outgoing nature, I think he will be able to handle a little kitten. Fingers crossed!!
 
I also meant to put: rabbits don't scurry like a cat's normal prey, I think this makes a huge difference.

We have two guinea-pigs in a run now and one cat used to stalk the run (I kindly persuaded her not to). Whereas we had a cat when I was a child and she never bothered the guinea-pigs and they had the free-run of the back garden.
 
my cat can be a horrible sod to people (well, it tends to be just the women hehe) but hes actualy not bothered by the rabbits atall, well maybe a bit, since charlie tries to hump him on site and chases him around so if charlies out and about i have to confine charlie to the living room or the cat to my room :p, he does go and sniff them occasionaly and they sniff back, tho im sure if he were to try anythin, lola and cookie are pretty big now they'd certainly scare him off xD
 
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